touch the sky
by MadiYasha
Summary: Robbie'd been contemplating a lot of things. His identity, his clothing—if this 'band' thing was ever going to take off—you know, typical teenage first world problems and inquiries that would hardly matter years from now. But of all the things that constantly ate at the inner confines of his tiny, tiny brain, he was most unsure about a girl named Wendy.


At the end of his Freshman summer, Robbie'd been contemplating a lot of things. His identity, his clothing—if this 'band' thing was ever going to take off—you know, typical teenage first world problems and inquiries that would hardly matter years from now. But of all the things that constantly ate at the inner confines of his tiny, tiny brain, he was most unsure about a girl named Wendy.

She'd sprung into his life the year prior, a vibrant fiery redhead with a penchant for slacking when it mattered and coming alive when it didn't. Wendy gave zero fucks about what people thought of her and the highest amount of fucks for making sure everyone was happy and having fun. She lit up the room with natural confidence, and at the age of 13 knew exactly who she was and what she wanted—something Robbie was still trying to figure out.

He knew she was his best friend. The best a boy could ever hope for. He knew he adored her and only went to school anymore so he could see her and hear the crazy stories she had to tell about her life. He knew that when she'd be absent he'd fret and worry and pretend like it wasn't bugging him but there was a hole in his heart eating him away until he could go home and call her and make sure she was okay. And if she wasn't, he'd most certainly brave the terror that was the Corduroy household to fuss over her and keep her company.

Robbie tread carefully, and carried a silent torch for her. Robbie watched her carelessly flit in and out of relationships, and each time she left a new boy, he'd worry a lot. He didn't understand why.

He regarded the last two years fondly and thanked whatever lucky stars he had left that she'd come into his life. He'd hated this town. He hated Oregon. He hated his dumb mansion and his dumb grandparents and their dumb overbearing attitudes. He missed his mom. He missed Colorado. He didn't miss living off of bread and ramen in apartment after apartment on the outskirts of Denver, but he knew he'd rather be poor and with people he loved than rich and alone and scared in a town he felt so wrongly about.

He was glad he had Wendy, and that was that.

The boy snapped back to the moment, lights dancing across his face and breaking him out of his daze (a thing he took to often.) _Right_. He thought. _The parade_. He'd been half-heartedly paying attention to one of Gravity Falls' various street fairs that mostly consisted of cheap ass pop music and an inability to hold the interest of anyone besides old people and small children—something the town had a plethora of. It had to be about 10 pm now, and he'd only really bothered showing up because The Crew had promised him free runs to the gas station for Neuros. Lee had just acquired a large sum of money from dancing outside the pet store in a frog suit, and it was collectively agreed to be a shame for that kind of hard work to go to waste.

Another float passed by and the residential idiot cops festooned its crown, throwing stale candy to the slobbering snot-nosed kids below. Robbie wondered why Party Rock Anthem was chosen for this particular venture and then he remembered the people he was dealing with. He sighed and scooted closer to Wendy, who was enthusiastically watching the floats pass by and smiling at the sad excuse for entertainment.

"Where'd the others go?" Robbie inquired.

"I think they started the Neuro run without you, dude."

"I am going to kick some ass tonight."

"You're going through me if you even think about it."

"Joke, Wendy. Joke."

"I know, I know, haha." She looked back toward the sea of faces, shoulder to shoulder with Robbie. "This night's not as much of a drag as I thought it'd be."

"Really?" He blew a strand of shaggy hair out of his face. "I'm kind of loathing my existence right now."

She punched him. "You're so negative. At least try to find some entertainment in it! Look, Determind's about to fall off his cheap volkswagon."

He snickered as the tiny man scrambled for footing on the vehicle. "Okay, that's pretty hilarious."

"And all the while we get the beautiful soundtrack of Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to accompany us. Isn't it wonderful? This is the good life, Robbie, I'm telling you."

"In a sick 'laughing-at-the-pain-of-others' kind of way."

"The best kind!"

Wendy closed her eyes, swaying to the music. Robbie looked away for half a second and when his gaze flipped back to her he'd noticed her teeth were chattering and she was holding her arms together in an attempt to stop shivering.

"Hey," He peered into her, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, totally fine, it just got really cold, is all. I didn't really bring a coat."

The boy bit his lip nervously as he shakily unzipped his hoodie. "C'mere," he said softly.

She tilted her head in the darkness and then moved in closer as he strung the heavyweight cotton around both of their shoulders like a crude blanket. Smiling, she clung to him, heart only slightly aflutter as his warmth became hers.

"Thanks," She said, so quietly it was almost a whisper.

His pale complexion did nothing to hide the pink on his cheeks, and he didn't give a response, just barely smiled and choked out a "Yeah."

They watched the rest of the parade in comfortable silence that was only penetrated by quiet giggles whenever someone in the parade lost an article of clothing or became seriously injured. It wasn't until the community center's float came by that Robbie spoke—a dark and hushed sentence, a simple "Oh my god."

"What?" Wendy asked.

"I—Nothing!" He desperately scrambled to hide in his end of the hoodie.

"Robbie, there was a glint in your eye just now, what was that about?"

"I… can't…"

"Dude, whatever you're thinking, tell me, it's just us, I won't spill."

The boy took a breath, frantically looking around to make sure the other's hadn't come back.

"Promise?"

"'Course."

His expression darkened and he looked her straight in the eye.

"I unironically love this song."

Wendy mirrored his expression, a totally serious nod escaped her as she gazed at Robbie like he'd just shared the secrets of the universe with her. And then her poker face cracked into a smile and she nothing short of laughed her ass off.

"_**Wendy!"**_

"Hey, I said I wouldn't tell anyone, you never said I couldn't laugh!" She was near doubled over with giggles at this point, a strangely feminine act for one brandishing her boyish personality. "Stop pouting, Robbie, that's cute."

"I'm not cute," He continued to pout. "I'm manly as hell."

"You totally are," She smiled reassuringly, and then, after a moment's hesitation, she kissed him on the cheek, breaking away after a short moment and leaning her head on his shoulder as she brought the hoodie back around the two of them.

Robbie froze for a quick moment and swallowed, breathing in the oxygen around him like it was nectar. His face was bright red at this point, but he really didn't care. And it was there, underneath thousands of twinkling stars and surrounded by complete tools that he realized of all the things he was unsure of in Gravity Falls, he had feelings for Wendy Corduroy—and that one truth was enough to combat all the hesitation in the world. Both of them warm in the cold night air, Wendy kept on giggling until the float passed by, and Robbie's lovely taste in music faded down the road.

_Starships were meant to fly,_

_hands up and touch the sky…_


End file.
